Minister confirms funding to proceed with Planageo project

Luanda – The financial constraints related to the National Geology Plan (Planageo), the main instrument of the government’s strategy in the geological sector, have been overcome, said last Friday, in Luanda, the minister of Geology and Mining, Francisco Queiroz.

According to the minister, who spoke to journalists before the beginning of the seventh regular session of the Multisectoral Commission for Planageo, “there are no problems. Despite the previous delays, we are within the reasonable limits in terms of the compliance with the Planageo programme.

After visiting the future facilities of the Angolan Geological Institute (IGO), the minister said that the facilities he visited will allow IGO to manage the results that Planageo will produce, carry out scientific research with propriety, to correspond to the demands of public services and international levels.

The official said that t up to now, data from 19 out of the 22 Planageo blocks have already been processed and interpreted, which corresponds to 86 percent of the existing grand total.

From the preliminary data of the aero-geophysical survey were identified a 1,623 targets, of which 1,526 magnetic and 27 radiometers ones.

From the magnetic targets, 225 were considered priority, being favourable for the exploration of iron, basic metals, copper, manganese, titanium, kimberlites, carbonatites, gold, phosphate, zinc lead and aluminium.

From the radiometric anomalies, 17 were considered priority and showed favourable signs for the exploration of radioactive minerals.

All these cycles of discovery and selection of priority targets are encouraging the emergence of large-scale mining operations capable of changing the country’s economic base in medium term, asserted the official.